


Valentine's Day

by accio_broom



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Muggle, F/M, Harry Potter is a Good Friend, Minor Hermione Granger / Cormac McLaggen, Minor Lavender Brown/Ron Weasley, ROMioneCOM, based on a movie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-18 01:06:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29109777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/accio_broom/pseuds/accio_broom
Summary: Muggle AU. Based on the movie Valentine's Day. London residents Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger wend their way through the highs and lows of love during a single day. As the holiday unfolds, so does their story. Can they work out their own love problems before the end of the day?
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley
Comments: 79
Kudos: 35
Collections: RomioneCom





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Because I don't have enough on my plate right now, please enjoy this Romionecom based on the movie Valentine's Day. If I had forever and wasn't writing for IWSC and had Lego House on the go, I may have made this a bigger thing and written all the interwoven stories. But I don't have the time, and I want to post the last chapter of this on Valentine's Day as my gift to my readers because I love you all so hard (plus I don't have anyone in my real life to buy presents for!) So enjoy this. As you read this first chapter, you may not be happy, but know Romione is always my end game.
> 
> A huge thanks to adenei who beta-d this for me.
> 
> Also, if you enjoy this firstly, please leave me a comment cos I love comments but also, check out the other fics in the collection. The HPRomione server are OBSESSED with this kind of fic at the moment. If you're a writer who has written something similar, please add your fic to the collection. We want all the Ron & Hermione romcoms out there! <3

The type of work Ron Weasley did meant he was usually up early in the morning, although it took him three alarm clocks before he finally got out of bed. It was an occupational hazard, but honestly, he didn't mind — he loved his job.

Still, even he had to admit he was up way too early that morning. Valentine's Day was always his most important day of the year, and he expected to do a ton of business today. He could have done with the sleep. But his stomach was a bundle of excited nerves and he had struggled to drift off.

He rubbed at his eyes then shifted carefully in bed to turn on his side so he could watch his girlfriend as she slept. Her back was to him, and her mess of long blonde hair obscured his view of her. She mumbled in her sleep and Ron felt a surge of love for her, building up from the bottom of his stomach until he had to breathe it out in a hard puff of air.

Ron knew he had to do it then, while he was still feeling brave and not later when he was exhausted from his busiest day of the year.

He unfolded his long limbs out of bed and dug in his dresser, eventually locating the small velvet ring box at the bottom of his underwear drawer. He opened the box quickly, breathing a sigh of relief as the ring glimmered up at him from its satin cushion. It was almost as beautiful as her.

Tiptoeing carefully so as not to disturb her or the large dog that slept at the bottom of their mattress, he settled on one knee at her side of the bed. He pulled her hair away from her face so he could see her better. She had fallen asleep with her mobile phone in her hand again, and Ron rolled his eyes fondly as he peeled it from her stone iron grip.

She started to stir as he placed the phone on her bedside table, smiling at Ron as she opened her eyes.

"Good morning," she whispered to him. "What are you doing down there?"

Ron laughed, realising how silly he must look to her right now. His heart was pounding and during that brief pause he took to gather his nerves, he remembered that he hadn't even bothered to brush his teeth that morning. He wondered if he should abort his mission now and try and find a more perfect time.

But if not now, then when.

He took a deep breath, summoning every ounce of his courage before holding the ring box out to her, his eyes fixed firmly on her.

"When I was a kid, most of the advice that my dad gave me was rubbish. But there's one thing that he said that was pure genius. He said ' _if you're ever with a girl that's too good for you, marry her.'_ And you, Lavender Brown, are way too good for me. So will you do me the honour of being my wife?" He opened the ring box, so she could see the huge rock he'd saved for over a year to buy her.

Ron held his breath as she sat up quickly in bed, regarding the ring closely. It was probably for only a couple of seconds, but to him, it felt like a lifetime as he watched her eyes flit from the ring to his face and then back again. His stomach plummeted nervously and he thought he might be sick.

Suddenly, Lavender launched herself out of bed with such force that she pushed him back to sit against his heels. Her arms wrapped tightly around him. Before he could ask his question again, she captured his lips with hers.

They kissed until they were breathless, hands pulling at each other and Ron wondered if it would escalate before he got an answer. Then just as quickly as she had thrown herself at him, she pulled away, beaming widely.

"Yes, of course, I will. I love you so much!"

He took the ring from the box, sliding it onto her finger before pulling her to the floor with him, showering her with kisses.

He'd never felt so happy.

⁂

An hour later, Ron left the house with a spring in his step as he dialled the number of his best friend, Hermione. He let it ring, forgetting how early in the morning it was until he got her answering machine.

"Hermione, hey! Sorry about the early call. It's Ron if you didn't know!" He laughed down the phone. "Of course you know, you have caller ID. Anyway, give me a call when you get this. I have some news!"

He hung up, hoping he hadn't sounded too excited. Hermione was perpetually single, despite all her best dating efforts. He didn't want to rub his happiness in, especially today of all days. He slid his phone back into his pocket as he got to Harry, who was leaning casually up against a wall, his hands shoved in his jean pockets in his usual spot.

"She said yes!" Ron bounded over to Harry, unable to stop the news blurting from his lips as soon as he saw his other best friend.

"Who said yes?" Harry frowned at Ron from behind his glasses.

"Lavender! I proposed to her this morning, and she said yes! I told you I was going to do it today." Ron stopped in his tracks, staring at Harry. He had talked at length about his plans to marry Lavender over the last year or so. How could Harry forget? Ron felt a lurch of self-doubt deep in his stomach, but he pushed it aside and put his smile back on his face.

Harry stopped walking when he realised Ron wasn't by his side. "Oh yes, of course! Congratulations mate!" He clapped his hand on Ron's shoulder before carrying on walking.

"Well, you could sound happier!" Ron scowled but followed Harry anyway. They got to the main road and he unlocked his work van before climbing into the driver's seat. "Did you not think she would say yes?"

"Well you've been together for five years, I guess it was inevitable." Harry shrugged. "But honestly, the vibe I always got from her is that she was always too busy with work to want to settle down. She must love you a lot to say yes!"

Ron regarded his best friend intently before shrugging and starting up the van. "Exactly! I can't believe you didn't think she would say yes. You're supposed to be my best friend, Harry! Anyway, buckle up because I am going to be super cheesy today. It's Valentine's Day, after all!"

They made their way across London to the New Covent Garden Market to buy their wholesale supplies for the day ahead. Harry and Ron shared a thriving flower business just off Oxford Street, and their day always started at the market. They parked the van outside and made their way in — Harry helping himself to a flatbed trolley from its usual spot. They worked their way around the bustling market, selecting the flowers they needed from the various stalls.

Eventually, they got to Neville, a close friend of theirs.

"Neville!" Ron high-fived his friend, missing the shared look between Harry and Neville. There would never be a moment where Ron could be accused of being grumpy, but even his current energy level was new for him. "I need something special from you…"

"Yeah? What's that?" Neville stopped helping Harry to load their pre-ordered flowers on to the trolley.

"Well, I need a present for my new fiancée."

"Fiancée?! So she actually said yes?" Neville looked more surprised than Harry did, and his attention was fixed firmly on Ron.

"Yes!" Ron laughed and pulled himself on to the workbench, almost squashing two lilies as he made himself comfortable. "Why are you two so surprised?! I know I'm shooting well out of my league with Lavender, but she's stuck by me for over five years. It was the next natural step!"

"I'm not surprised, I promise!" Neville pasted a smile onto his face and scurried behind his desk. He pulled out a long, elegantly wrapped silver box and passed it to Ron. "Have this on the house, for my favourite customer and close friend."

Ron started to open the box, his eyes lighting up in pleasure but Neville but his hand on top of it, forcing it closed. "Don't ruin the magic. Save it for the right moment. I promise you it will be worth it!" Neville winked at Ron before moving to help Harry again.

⁂

In a modern-looking penthouse flat across London, Hermione Granger was lying in bed, watching Cormac McLaggen as he dressed for work. The man was muscular, something she hadn't appreciated until she removed his suit the night before. She licked her lips as butterflies stirred lazily in her stomach.

"Are you sure you have to go to Edinburgh on today of all days?" She sighed and forced her attention back to the article she was reading on her phone, trying not to give away just how disappointed she felt. She thought she might have succeeded until he turned, his eyebrows raised as he caught sight of her dressed only in his button-down shirt from the night before.

"I'm afraid so. Although seeing you in bed like that is making it harder if you know what I mean?" He wriggled his eyebrows at her, and she laughed, forgetting how forlorn she felt just a moment earlier. Trust her luck to finally snag herself a man, only for him to be one of the busiest stockbrokers ever.

Cormac put one knee on the bed, and Hermione pushed herself forward to meet him in a soft kiss. She didn't notice the gift box he held behind his back until he presented it to her. She took it from him eagerly, sitting back on her heels as she opened it and pulled out a cuddly soft toy.

Hermione couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed — she was a grown woman after all — but she pasted a massive smile on her face as she pulled the toy close to her chest.

"It's lovely. Thank you, Cormac!"

He stood back up and continued getting dressed.

"I know you're probably expecting flowers or jewellery or lingerie, but I saw that guy in the shop yesterday and couldn't resist buying him for you. He's adorable, just like you!" He flashed Hermione a massive grin in the mirror and then moved to pick up his bag. "What are you going to do with yourself tonight?"

Hermione's disappointment grew as she heard Cormac refer to her as adorable. It wasn't the look she had been going for. She was fast approaching her 30's and wanted to be sexy and beautiful. Sure, Hermione thought as she watched her reflection in the mirror, she did look quite cute with her petite frame, wild long curly brown hair and button nose. Still, she would prefer for her lover to think more of her, especially after everything they'd done last night.

She let out a soft sigh and flopped back down in the bed, making sure the shirt covered her modesty. "I guess I should go to Hannah's party. Although I was looking forward to finally having a reason to give it a miss."

Hannah Abbott, an old school friend of Hermione's, held an " _I hate Valentine's Day"_ party every year for all their single friends. Love hearts were banned unless they were beaten by a stick, and there was always a steady flow of vodka and wine.

Cormac turned on the spot. "How about I make it up to you when I get home tomorrow? Dinner, dancing, maybe another sleepover?"

She considered the invite briefly, but couldn't help the smile that crept across her face. "Oh okay, I suppose I can settle on tomorrow. Can I have a kiss before you go?"

He grinned and moved back to her and Hermione rose back to her knees to reach him, wrapping her arms firmly around Cormac before planting a kiss against his lips.

"Have a nice trip. Try not to miss me!"

"I'll do my best!" He returned the kiss, chancing a sneaky grab of Hermione's bare backside before letting go of her. "Feel free to help yourself to anything in the kitchen. Just lock up and push the key back through the door or something. I'll ring you when I land."

Without waiting for Hermione to respond, he left the room, pulling his bag behind him.

It didn't take long for Hermione to get ready and leave Cormac's flat. It was her first night staying over, and she didn't feel at home there, feeling a little strange about being there without him. As Hermione strolled to the tube station, she checked her phone for messages. She only had one, and she tried to ignore the bleak feeling of loneliness as it crept back over her. She listened to Ron's message before changing her direction, deciding to take a detour to his shop on Oxford Street before she went to work.

⁂

Hermione stepped through the door half an hour later, her hands full with a tray of coffees and baked goods. She cast her eyes around the already bustling shop. Ron opened early on Valentine's Day, in the hope of ensuring everyone could get their orders in on time. She spotted his fiery red hair over the sea of customers and carefully weaved her way over to him. He had his back to her, concentrating on putting together a bouquet and he didn't notice her straight away.

"Good morning, sunshine!" She took one of the cups from the cardboard holder and slid it across the workbench at him, topping it with a novelty heart-shaped biscuit.

"Hermione, hi!" He turned and gave her a brief hug, trying his best to avoid her full hands. "Happy Valentine's Day!"

"Thank you, you too!" She smiled up at her old friend. They had known each other since their first year of secondary school, almost nineteen years ago now, and he had been a consistent presence in her life along with Harry. "So what's this news you need to tell me? Are you okay?" Her eyes searched his face, trying her best to determine his mood as she rested a sympathetic hand on his arm.

"Yes, I'm bloody brilliant! Lavender said yes!" His face erupted in a huge grin, seemingly ignoring Hermione's concern.

"She did?" Hermione felt her stomach churn briefly, and she tried her best to hide her surprise. "Oh wow. Congratulations!"

She evidently wasn't that good at arranging her expression as Ron took a step back from her, a frown on his face. "Not you, too? Seriously, what's wrong with you all?"

"We just want to make sure you're happy!" Harry stopped as he got to them, his arms full of red roses. He pressed a kiss to Hermione's cheek. "How was your date last night?"

Hermione extracted Harry's coffee and another biscuit, leaving it on the table next to Ron's. "Oh, it was brilliant!" She gushed, pulling a rose from Harry's hands and smelling it. "Cormac was the perfect gentleman. I may have even gone home with him."

She felt a hot blush creep over her cheeks. She was usually quite conservative when she was dating, but she couldn't help but throw caution to the wind last night.

"On the third date?!" Ron looked incredulous.

"Hermione!" A smirk had appeared on Harry's face.

"Oh, shut it, you two!" Hermione grinned back at them. "He was just so attentive and sweet. It's a shame he's not going to be around this evening — he's had to fly to Edinburgh for work!"

"So?" Ron grinned, his excellent mood spurring him on. "Go and surprise him!"

"Ron! I just can't fly up to Scotland tonight. I have work!"

"Yeah, and tomorrow is a Saturday, you have plenty of time. There are loads of flights from City Airport. It could be the start of something special, just like Lavender and me." Ron turned back to his work.

Hermione looked to Harry for the deciding vote. Although she was usually the voice of reason in their friendship group, she needed someone to tell her it was a bad idea. However, Harry was grinning eagerly back at her. She sighed and shifted her attention back to Ron — she had never seen him so happy and in love, and she wanted that for herself too. She quickly weighed the pros and cons up in her head before coming to a decision.

"Okay fine, I'll go!" She checked the time quickly then moved to kiss both boy's cheeks. "Ron, I am happy for you. Really happy! Just be careful when you're picking a best man. Remember which one of us brings you nice treats!"

"Oy! The person he should choose is in the name, Hermione — best _man_!" Harry grinned and wandered away, laughing to himself.

Ron gave Hermione a smile. "Stay safe, okay? Ring me when you get there and have a nice night!"

She grinned and kissed his cheek one last time before leaving with a bounce in her step, the rose she stole from Harry still in her hands. She held the door open, grinning as Lavender stepped into the store.

"Lavender, hey! Ron told me the great news. Congratulations!" She gave the girl a quick smile and a congratulatory hug before leaving.

Ron looked up as he heard Hermione speak Lavender's name. He watched with a fond smile as Harry headed over to her.

"Alright, Lavender? Or should I say Mrs Weasley now?"

Ron abandoned his work once more, making his way over to his best friend and his fiancée. He intercepted Lavender before she could get embroiled in a conversation with Harry and took her hand, lacing their fingers together as he pulled her to a quiet corner of the shop.

"Not that I'm not pleased to see you, but what are you doing here?" Ron grinned as he stole a kiss from her.

"You left your wallet on the side this morning!" She held it out for him, eyebrows raised but a loving smile on her face.

"So I did. Maybe it was just a rouse to see you again — " Ron reached out for it, but frowned as he spotted her bare ring finger. "Where's your ring? Don't say you've lost it already?"

"Oh…" Lavender passed the wallet to him and lifted her hand to her face, staring at it before sighing. "I just… I just didn't want all the questions when I got to work. Especially today. You know what they'll be like: ' _Have you set a date? Will you have bridesmaids? How many kids will you have?'"_

"Three, with at least one more dog to keep Chudley company!" Ron grinned at her.

"Right." Lavender looked less than impressed with his answer, and he felt another surge of self-doubt. "Can we not just keep this between us for now, Ron? We like secrets, don't we? Remember those six months when we first started dating?"

"I guess…" He pouted at her, ignoring the lurch of his stomach as he took her hand, planting a kiss on the back of it. "If that's what you really want?"

"For now. I promise we'll tell everyone soon though, okay?" She reached out, sliding her hand to the back of his head and pulling him in for a kiss. When she pulled away, she had a smile on her face. "I have to go, I'll see you later, and we'll talk more about this." Lavender left the shop with one more quick kiss, leaving Ron staring at her, feeling more confused than ever.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A steady stream of customers visits Orchideous Flowers, including a small Teddy Lupin and a familiar face that sends Ron on a mission to see Hermione. Ron returns home to leave a Valentine's surprise for Lavender, only to receive a surprise of his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so glad you're all enjoying this fic. I've almost finished writing it, so will be releasing it every few days up until Valentine's Day! <3 For those more observant, you'll notice I changed the name of Lavender and Ron's pet dog to Chudley. This is the name the HPRomione Discord server have adopted as a canon name for any pet of Ron's. Plus Crookshanks belonging to Lavender felt wrong, wrong, wrong and I don't know what I was thinking.
> 
> I'm sending all the pink fluffy hearts to adenei for beta-ing this for me. If you need more Romionecom goodness, make sure you go and read her 27 Dresses inspired fic - Always a Bridesmaid, Never a Bride.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter, the ending was pretty satisfying to me! ;-) xxx

Although the shop was steadily busy through Valentine's Day, the first couple of hours after opening were always the most hectic. Ron attributed this to forgetful husbands and boyfriends who had neglected to order something in the days prior. Luckily, Ron always ensured the shop was over-stocked and put additional staff on the floor. He was adamant that everyone would get their Valentine's presents by the end of the day.

He split his time that morning between making up the bouquets that had already been ordered and serving customers — anything to help his fantastic team of employees. Harry did the same. The shop always felt more like a family than a place of work — even though he had his own huge family back in Devon.

It was while he was working his way through the massive queue of customers that Ron spotted the small, blond-haired boy stepping up to the counter with a bright red card clutched firmly in his hands.

"How can I help you, young sir?" Ron beamed down as the kid thrust the card on to the surface next to the till.

"I would like to order a dozen roses, please." He counted out a handful of coins and notes before handing them to Ron, a determined look on his face.

"The roses? But they're — " One glance at the kid and Ron knew that he wasn't going to be deterred. Ron counted the change before exchanging a look with the cashier, Ernie. The child was short by £35, but Ron was in far too good a mood to do anything about it.

"Of course you may. And where should these be delivered?"

"To my school — North Beckton primary school. If you could bring them over during our lunch break, which is at 12:30, and deliver them straight to me, Teddy, then I'll make sure they go to the right person. I want to give them to her myself."

"Sure thing, Teddy! And it just so happens I know where that school is because I have a friend who goes there!" Ron offered him a high-five, but was ignored by the child. Teddy was one serious kid.

"Thank you!"

Ron rang up the order and passed Teddy his receipt. "You should keep that, just in case you get audited. They always pick on the good guys!" He watched as Teddy wandered back off to an adult and was replaced by a harassed looking man.

"Hey, I'd like to order two of your top-range bouquets if I'm not already too late!" The man looked to be Ron's age and was wearing a smart, expensive-looking suit. Ron couldn't help but let out a low whistle.

"Two? That's going to put you back a few pennies…"

"That's not important. You can just charge it to my card. I'd appreciate your utmost discretion when you deliver. One is for my wife, the other for my girlfriend." The man rushed, and Ron was immediately filled with a strong sense of dislike. He always thought of himself as a good judge of character and the businessman was ticking all of Ron's red flags. Still, the customer was always right, and Ron prided himself on ensuring all his customers got the best experience.

Ron pushed a pen and two sets of order forms towards the man and watched as he wrote the addresses down. Ron felt his stomach give a huge lurch as he read the first name; _Hermione Granger_. He resisted the urge to throw himself over the counter and punch the man, but instead, he took the offered credit card from him.

"Just so I have this clear Mr uh… McLaggen…" The fury burning low in Ron's stomach started to bubble up as he confirmed the name of Hermione's date last night. "This address here…" He tapped the first delivery card. "This Hermione Granger — she's your girlfriend?" He waited for Cormac to nod before continuing. "And this one, she is your wife?"

"Yes. I thought I mentioned I needed discretion with this order?" Cormac tapped his foot impatiently against the linoleum floor.

"Of course, there's a florist code. We are the epitome of discretion."

"Do I know you?" Cormac was eyeing Ron suspiciously now.

"No, not at all. Unless you've seen one of my adverts. They're pretty awful, actually." Ron rubbed the back of his neck, a sure sign he was feeling stressed out. He quickly charged the credit card and waited for Cormac to enter his pin number, dismay rising from Ron's stomach. The guy who stood in front of him was Hermione's date — the man she was gushing about this morning and who she broke her five-date rule to sleep with last night. His heart broke for her; she deserved better than this.

As soon as Cormac was out of the door, Ron left Ernie with the queue of waiting customers and hurried to find Harry. Ron found the scrawny guy out by the back of the shop, loading the delivery vans.

"Harry, we have a problem!"

"We?" Harry turned, frowning at Ron. "What happened? Has Lavender given you the ring back?"

"What? No! How was that even your first thought?" Ron found himself momentarily distracted before he remembered the real source of his anger and dismay. He held a palm upright as Harry started to reply. "Actually, you know what, I don't care right now. Guess who was in the shop? I'll tell you. Cormac!"

Harry's eyes widened in surprise. "As in Cormac McLaggen? Hermione's Cormac? I thought he was in Edinburgh?!"

"Obviously not and even worse, he ordered _two_ bouquets. One for his girlfriend and one for _his wife_!"

"Shit!" Harry moved his hand to his forehead, where a small scar from a childhood rugby accident sat above his eyebrow. It was a nervous habit of his that he hadn't been able to shake, even in adulthood. "What are you going to do?"

"Well, that's why I came to you. I need advice. What would you do?"

"I think you need to tell her…" Harry gave Ron a poignant look with a sigh.

⁂

Hermione stood in front of her class and shushed them to attention. She had been teaching the 30 eight-year-olds for five months now, and she had built up such a rapport that the excitable children quieted down almost immediately. She still felt the buzz from her dalliance with Cormac last night and combined with the thought of potentially seeing him again sooner than planned, she felt nothing could bring her down.

"So, does anyone know what day it is today?" Every single one of them put their hands up, so she closed her eyes and pointed at random. "Yes, Betty?" She smiled as she opened her eyes and set them on the quiet, blonde-haired girl.

"My Daddy says that Valentine's Day was a massacre in Chicago where lots of people died!" The girl had an honest look in her blue eyes and a soulful tone which threw Hermione briefly off her stride.

"Well, that's a different day, Betty, but well done. You certainly watch a lot of Netflix, don't you?" Betty nodded at her, and Hermione suppressed a laugh.

"No, Valentine's Day is a day where we celebrate the love we feel for the people around us. Many countries observe it, including England, where we are. Can anyone tell me what sort of things we give to others on this day?"

The whole room chorused with the word 'cards', eliciting a smile from Hermione. Sure, there were one or two shouts of presents intertwined, but what did you expect from a group of small children?

"Brilliant, yes cards. I thought that today over lunch we could make our own for someone special. It could be one of your school friends, or someone at home if you prefer…"

A small knock at her classroom door distracted her. Whoever it was didn't wait to be invited in, and Hermione's eyes grew wide as the door swung open, a massive bouquet entering as if moving by magic. The flowers made their way to her, and it wasn't until they were safely on her desk that she saw Ron's face.

"Ron, hi!" She turned her attention straight to the arrangement, searching in the bouquet for the card. "Are these from you?!"

"No!" Ron laughed as the class of children giggled. "These are from Cormac McLaggen. I thought I'd deliver them personally so I could see your face when you got them. These are my most expensive flowers!" He beamed at her.

"I hope he knows how much he paid, Ronald?" Hermione chided him, but she couldn't help the smile on her face, giving away that she wasn't serious.

"I'm not a crook, Miss Granger!" Ron shifted closer, dropping his head low so he could speak quietly to Hermione. "Can I speak to you…" He was aware that all 30 sets of eyes were on him. "...Outside."

"Sure! Teddy why don't you get the arts and crafts stuff out. You can use anything you want. One sheet of card per person then you can get as creative as you possibly can with tissue paper and glitter. I'll be back in a moment." She begrudgingly left her flowers and children and followed Ron out of her classroom.

"So, guess what? I managed to book a flight almost straight after I finish school!"

"That's brilliant!" Ron leaned against a wall, crossing his arms across his chest as he let out a long breath. "But...I don't think you should go."

"What do you mean?" Hermione frowned. "This morning you were adamant it was the right thing to do!"

"I know, but I had my head in the clouds, and you usually think things through and decide not to do it, especially when it's my crazy ideas! But I don't think you should go to Scotland. I know that for sure…"

She observed him closely, her frown growing. He was avoiding making eye contact with her, and the tips of his ears had turned pink. Something wasn't right. Suddenly, she realised why he was trying to stop her, and she softened, pulling one of his arms away from his chest and taking his hand.

"I think I know what this is about." She let her thumb rub comforting circles against the pattern of freckles on the back of his hand. "You're worried that if things with Cormac start going really well, I'll have less time for you. Lavender is never around — she's always working late, and I won't be able to go watch awful movies with you. And who will go to street food festivals with you and eat something from every van when Lavender is on her next diet? You really don't have to worry about that, Ron. I will always make time for you." She squeezed his hand firmly and didn't let go of it.

"No, Hermione. That's not what I — " He was interrupted from his explanation by a small child tugging at his jumper. He recognised him from the flower shop earlier. "What do you want, Squirt?"

"Where are my flowers?" Teddy had a frown on his face and did not look pleased with Ron. Hermione decided to intervene.

"Teddy, head back into the classroom. I'm just finishing up here, and I'll be back in!"

Teddy persisted. "I paid a lot of money for those flowers, where are they?"

Ron grimaced and let go of Hermione, dropping to the kid's level. "It's okay. I haven't forgotten. It's not quite lunchtime yet, and they're out with one of my drivers. He'll deliver them on time, I promise."

He stood back up, ready to escort Teddy back to his classroom when an almighty noise erupted from the room. Hermione's attention was pulled back to her class.

"I'm so sorry, Ron, I need to check on the children. I promise I'll ring you as soon as I get to Edinburgh." She threw him an apologetic look before hurrying back to the kids.

Ron walked out of the school, looking forlorn. Admittedly, he often struggled with communication, but this was a mixed message of an epic scale. And to top it off, Hermione thought that Ron was worried she was abandoning him. He had his own relationship, he didn't _need_ Hermione, but he really did enjoy having her around. If she had her heartbroken and he had the opportunity to stop it, he'd be devastated.

He crossed back over to the van, where Harry was waiting.

"I think you should have done that, mate. I royally fucked up."

"No way," Harry shook his head. "It's your news, you have to tell it to her. She talks more to you about this stuff than me anyway. Plus, it would have looked a little suspicious for two grown men to wander into a school without reason."

"I could have stayed out here." Ron sulked.

Harry ignored the whinge. "I take it she didn't take the news well?"

"I didn't even get a chance to give her the full story. I tried breaking the news to her, told her she shouldn't go to Scotland and she thought I was jealous of her and the git!" He leaned against the van next to Harry, staring back towards the school. "I hope she'll be okay…"

"She will be. Hermione is a strong girl, and she knows we're back here for her when she needs us." Harry nudged Ron with his shoulder gently. "Right, where's our next stop?"

"We still have several deliveries to do, but I was hoping we could make our way over to my place? I want to drop Lavender's present off, make the house a little nicer for her. She might make it home before me."

"Sure. Come on then, I'll drive…" Harry slipped into the driver's side of the van.

⁂

When Ron entered the house an hour later, he knew something wasn't right. It was quiet, apart from the sound of hangers scraping against the metal clothes rail upstairs and Chudley didn't come to greet him with his usual enthusiasm.

"Hello?" He put the silver box on the side and took the stairs two at a time, ignoring the toxic thoughts that bounced through his mind. As a teenager, he was often quite insecure and took everything to heart. As he'd grown, his negative thoughts and self-doubt seemed to almost disappear, although there were still moments that drove the most negative thoughts racing through his mind.

He got to the top of the stairs, surprised to see Lavender in their bedroom, throwing clothes into a large suitcase.

"What are you doing home? What's going on?" The negative thoughts increased tenfold. He surveyed the evidence in front of him, and he gripped hold of the doorframe tightly to distract himself from thinking the worst.

"Oh, shit! I was hoping you would be too busy to come home!" Lavender stopped what she was doing, looking guilty. "I can't do this Ron. I'm so sorry."

"Do what? Live in the house with me? Are you mental, we've been here for three years!" Ron took a step towards her, his heart pounding furiously, but she only moved away from him. "Are you leaving me?"

Lavender nodded, tears filling her eyes. She dug in the pile of clothes on the bed and pulled out the ring box, offering it back to Ron. "I'm so sorry, I don't want to get married."

"What do you mean, you don't want to get married?" Ron tried to breathe away the assault of angry feelings. "You said bloody yes this morning."

"I want to focus on my career — "

"And you can still do that!" He interrupted, cursing the tears that started to pool in his eyes. "I'm not going to stop you from working, Lavender!"

"But you talked about children at the shop earlier. I can't have children and continue to push forward in my career. Marketing is cut-throat. And then there are my parents —"

"Just because your parents had a divorce, it doesn't mean we will. Look at my mum and dad."

"Not everyone is as perfect as your parents!" Lavender spat.

Ron paused, ignoring her barbed response. When he spoke again, his voice was softer. "Did you even consider marrying me?"

"Of course I did. But when you ask a girl to marry you, do you want her to just consider it? Or do you want her just to know?" She looked sad now, but Ron did not find it comforting.

"Well, at least I have Chudley." He sighed and pocketed the ring box before turning to leave the bedroom. "Come on Chudley, come with me…"

The low whine from the dog indicated that he had no plans to leave Lavender's side. The pup shifted, putting his paws over his nose and looked up at Ron with sad eyes. It was this small moment that broke the last of his resolve.

"You're a traitor, you know that?" Ron risked one last look at Lavender. "I'll leave you to finish packing. Bye Lav…"

Dejectedly, he left the house, remembering to pick up the silver box he left on the side. Lavender Brown did not deserve the most magical flower or the pleasure of receiving a gift from him.

For the second time in as many hours, Ron made his way back to his van where Harry was waiting for him. This time, he moved slower as if the longer he took to walk away from Lavender, the less real the whole moment would be. He was utterly heartbroken.

Ron marvelled at the speed in which life could flip. He had woken up with so many great expectations for the day and slowly, his good spirits had been hammered away. Cynically, he thought he was really starting to dislike Valentine's Day.

He let out a heavy sigh as he flopped back next to Harry.

"What's up?"

Ron considered Harry closely, trying not to let his frustrations creep out. He knew he could have a short temper, and Ron often took it out on the people he loved the most.

"Why didn't you just tell me Lavender wasn't right for me?" He raked a hand through his hair, exasperated. "You, Hermione, Neville. Your reactions were identical this morning."

Harry took his time to reply, not looking at Ron. "You were happy, that's what mattered the most to us."

"Well, it's all over. Lavender is packing her bags as we speak." Ron shrugged. "She wants to concentrate on her career; as if being married to me means she would be chained to the kitchen."

"Ah… I had an inkling..."

"You don't keep inklings to yourself! You share them! You're like hey Ron, I got an inkling you're headed for a fall here! That's what friends do, that's common knowledge, it's in the damn handbook!"

They stood in silence for a while, watching the busy road as people went about their daily business, unaware of the turmoil in Ron's head. He just wanted to hide away, forget about Valentine's Day and everything it meant. It was just stupid commercialised crap anyway.

He let out a long breath.

Quietly, Harry finally spoke up. "You know what you need to do now, right?"

Ron lifted his head and made eye contact with Harry. The specky git had a massive grin on his face, it was almost infectious.

"I need to get hold of Hermione, don't I?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ron races across London in an attempt to stop Hermione from getting on her flight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have finished writing and editing this, thanks to adenei <3 But I have to resist posting this all in one go so you can spread this out. Anyway, happy Sunday. I loved writing this chapter, the folks over at the Romione Discord Server are to blame for the McGonagall/Umbridge showdown. It made me laugh so much!

Ron dug his mobile phone out of his pocket, fumbling with it in his rush to get in touch with his best friend, Hermione. She was currently on her way to London City airport in the hope of getting on a plane to see her new boyfriend Cormac, but Ron had discovered that Cormac already had a wife and was cheating on her with Hermione.

Despite the fact Ron's heartbreak was still fresh in his mind, the thought of having a mission to distract him was exhilarating. He caught his phone as he almost dropped it before hitting the speed dial for Hermione.

He let it ring until he got her voice mail again, but this time he hung up, not wanting to leave a message about such a sensitive topic. He checked the time on his phone.

"Her flight is soon, and she's probably already at security. How long do you think it will take us to get to the airport?" Ron looked at Harry, who had been pacing the length of the van as he waited.

Harry checked the delivery list on his phone. "I can take a detour and get you there in 10 before finishing off the last of the deliveries. Some may be late, but I can just blame rush hour traffic."

"Will you be okay? You sure you don't mind finishing it off by yourself?"

"No, go on. Getting to Hermione is more important!"

The pair once again climbed into the van, this time Ron letting Harry drive. In his haste, Ron yanked at his seatbelt, causing it to look in resistance.

"Oh come on you fucking thing. Like I'm not having a bad enough day!"

"Yeah, because that will help, mate," Harry started the van, although he was having trouble suppressing his laughs.

"Shut up, you git!" Ron couldn't help but laugh too. The entire situation was ridiculous. He had only been dumped by his fiancée half an hour ago, and now he was racing across the borough to try and stop Hermione from getting her heart broken.

He tried the seat belt again, and this time, he was able to fasten it. Harry pulled away from the pavement.

Ron quietly contemplated the potential of what could happen if both he and Hermione ended up single at the same time. Since high school, he'd had a crush on her, but he had never acted on it. Ron had been too scared to ruin their friendship and was afraid that she didn't feel the same for him. Timing was also an issue — if he was single, she was dating and vice versa. His feelings for her had never really disappeared, and he made a promise to himself that if he could stop her from getting on the plane, he would tell her his true feelings.

Harry eventually pulled up at the airport and Ron begrudgingly paid the £1 fee so that Harry could get closer to Departures. He slid out of the van as soon as it stopped and leaned into the passenger side window to say goodbye to Harry.

"Good luck. Ring me later, and I'll come and pick the two of you up! Unless you decide to run off into the sunset with her. If you do, then it's about bloody time." Harry laughed as he pulled away.

Ron was left on the side of the road, staring at the disappearing van as he tried to work out just when Harry had figured out Ron's feelings for Hermione. Harry was more perceptive than he let on. Ron was still scratching his head as he entered Departures, his stomach plummeting as he eyed the crowds.

The entire hall was in chaos. Every ticket desk had a long queue, and Ron moved from one to the other, trying to work out which would empty the quickest. He was starting to panic. An announcement echoed through the hall, warning passengers that the flight to Edinburgh would start boarding soon and Ron decided he needed to do something more drastic. He spotted the overweight luggage counter, which fortunately was empty, and strode towards it.

"I need a ticket to whatever flight will get me close to gate 57, please?" He sifted through his pockets for his wallet, finally locating it and putting it down on the desk.

"I'm sorry, sir. This is the overweight luggage counter. Do you have overweight luggage?" Ron finally looked up at the attendant — a short, squat woman who resembled a sizable pale toad. Her voice was simpering and high-pitched and immediately got on Ron's nerves. The name badge on her pink uniform indicated her name was Dolores.

"No, I don't…" Ron shifted nervously from one foot to the other. "Please, can you help a guy out, Dolores?"

She looked Ron up and down. "Sorry, the rules indicate that this counter is only for overweight luggage, so unless you have any overweight luggage, I cannot possibly serve you. Good day, sir!"

Ron pulled both hands through his hair, tugging at it in despair. He glanced back at the queues at the standard ticket desk, which seemed to have doubled in the five minutes he'd been wasting. They would take at least half an hour, and he didn't have that long.

"You don't understand. You see, there's this girl — "

"Oh, let me guess. You forgot to tell the girl that you loved her, and you don't want her to catch her flight until she knows? Well, I'm afraid the rules simply cannot be bent for love."

"No, it's not like that!" Ron balled his hands into fists at his sides, fighting the urge to do something to the woman that would get him into serious trouble.

"Well, what am I missing?" Her eyes were bulging at Ron, and her sugary voice made him feel like he shouldn't mess with her. Still, he persisted.

"If she gets on the plane, she's going to find out the hard way that the guy she thinks she's in love with is a spineless lying creep!"

Ron noticed a handful of attendants had joined them at the desk, intent on listening to his story. An elderly, rather severe-looking woman with a tight bun was typing something into the computer as she listened.

Dolores' toad-like smile grew wider. "Well, that's just no good!" She was humouring him now, and Ron clenched his jaw tightly.

"No, it's not. And I can't let that happen. Because this girl. She is great! She's like…" He searched his mind, trying his hardest to find the best way to describe Hermione. As soon as he grasped hold of it, he felt his palms go sweaty. His shoulders suddenly felt lighter, as if Ron could easily erase Lavender's rejection from his mind if he could just get to Hermione on time.

"She's like sunshine. Everything's better when she's there. I can't stand the idea of some git hurting her. I just can't. I can't."

Suddenly it seemed like the older attendant had heard enough. She tutted loudly enough for all her colleagues to hear. "Honestly, Dolores, **no one** is waiting in line with overweight luggage, so I'm certain we can help this young man out. This surely isn't what you would call great customer service Dolores, is it?"

The pair of them seemed to stare each other down, each of them contemplating their next move. Ron knew that time was running out, but he felt that he could send the entire counter into chaos if he were to interrupt them.

Dolores eventually seemed to back down and begrudgingly typed something into her computer. The printer activated, and Ron felt a lurch of excitement as the older attendant came around the side of the desk, moving in an energetic way that superseded her age. She leaned over the counter and plucked the now printed ticket out of Dolore's fingers.

"I just cannot have someone who is like sunshine getting their heartbroken, at least not today…" She pressed the ticket into Ron's hand and covered his with her own, holding on to him tightly. "This will get you anywhere you need to be. If you tell them Minerva sent you, they will fast track you through security. It's on me. I'd say you have about twenty minutes before she gets to her gate."

"Thank you. Thank you so much, Minerva. You're a bloody lifesaver. And if you ever need flowers, for any occasion, then please stop by Orchideous Florists. You get free flowers for life…" Ron was already retreating as he finished his sentence.

He glanced up quickly at the airport signs, seeking the right way to go. The building was like a maze, but he eventually found the right way. He regarded the escalator, but it was moving too slowly for him, so he took the stairs two at a time, weaving his way around passengers as he hurtled towards Security.

Ron was never the most patient of men, so he was appreciative of the fast track through security when he saw the queue for the main desks. He joined the considerably smaller line and gave Minevra's name, just as another call for the Edinburgh flight rang out.

Damn all these lovers and their romantic weekends away.

He eyed them all with jealousy as he waited his turn. As soon as he pulled his worn trainers back on, he started his hunt for Hermione.

Of course, Gate 57 was the furthest away from everything; he thought as he ran through the crowds of travellers. Eventually, he spotted Hermione's bushy hair in the queue, and he ran alongside it.

"Oi Hermione, wait!" He finally got to her, clutching his side as he fought to catch his breath and alleviate his stitch.

"Ron, what the hell are you doing here?" Hermione stopped in her tracks, ignoring the complaints of the people around her as she blocked the queue. "It's okay, I know him. He's my friend." She smiled apologetically at her fellow travellers.

"Don't get on that plane, Hermione. He's married!"

"Who's married?"

"Cormac! He came to the shop earlier and ordered two bouquets. One for you and one for his wife."

"His _ex_ -wife Ron." Hermione corrected him, looking impatient.

Ron sighed in frustration. "His _wife_ , Hermione. He gave me this whole spiel about how I needed to be discreet when delivering the flowers. I double-checked with him."

He risked a look at Hermione and was frightened by the face glaring back at him. He thought she would be devastated by the news, but she just looked angry, and it was all directed at him. She poked him in the chest, hard.

"You need to stop this, Ron. You have never liked my boyfriends. Remember Krum? You were adamant he was gay!"

"He's married to Oliver Wood, and they have two chihuahuas. Of course, he's gay!"

"He was a lovely boyfriend. Why don't you want me to be happy?"

Her curls crackled with electricity and Ron scrambled in his brain for something else he could say to persuade her he wasn't being a jerk right now.

"This morning — you didn't believe that Lavender said yes to me. You knew we wouldn't work out, didn't you?"

Hermione's eyes flashed down at her feet, and Ron instantly knew he'd hit a nerve.

"Well, we split up. I caught Lavender packing her clothes on her lunch break. She handed me my ring back. It's over between us. You were right, and I should have listened more to you, Harry and Neville."

"I'm sorry things didn't work out for you and Lavender, Ron, but this is not the same thing…" She leaned over the barrier towards him, placing the same sympathetic hand on his arm as she did earlier, and Ron felt a flicker of annoyance at it. "I have to catch my flight. I'm sorry." She squeezed his arm once, giving him a regretful look before letting go of him and rejoining the queue.

Ron watched in despair as Hermione moved down the queue, unable to find the strength to try and call her back. He willed her to give him a sign — anything that would show him that she understood what he had told her but she didn't even look around.

He waited until she handed her ticket over and the hostess closed the desk before turning slowly on his heel and walking away. Even then he kept on looking back over his shoulder, hoping that she would have a final change of mind. He took the escalator back down to Departures and contemplated ringing Harry to come and pick him up. But his friend had been put through enough today and still had a ton of deliveries to make. So instead, Ron walked out of the airport and to the nearest bus stop — the long journey back to the shop would give him time to think about how disastrous the day had turned out to be.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione re-examines what Ron told her and makes an important decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya! Here is another chapter, I'm pretty sure that you're going to love this but if you do, please tell me!! It's my favourite moment in the movie! <3 Enjoy!

Hermione refused to believe that what Ron said to her at the gate affected her in any way. She was adamant that she was going to get to Edinburgh and have a romantic evening with Cormac. She'd bring up the wife topic and laugh about it. Hopefully, while in bed. She knew it was a spiteful thought, but she couldn't wait to get home tomorrow and tell Ron how wrong he was.

Despite her protestations, her mind was still racing with everything he had divulged to her as she boarded the plane, located her seat and got herself settled. Luckily, the flight would be quick, and she couldn't wait to speak to Cormac and get everything resolved.

In the meantime, her thoughts drifted to Ron and Lavender. Their engagement was over. Surprisingly, Hermione felt an excited lurch deep in her stomach at the thought. It wasn't that she disliked Lavender, quite the opposite, in fact. They had always gotten on well, but Hermione had never been able to shake the feeling that Lavender wasn't the right woman for Ron.

Her stomach lurched again, but this time in an uncomfortable way. Maybe Ron was telling the truth about Cormac. He told Hermione that he was recently divorced during their first date, so why had he ordered two bouquets? Do men send flowers to their ex-wives?

True, Cormac had been elusive about some of the finer details of his life, but Hermione had just put that down to a deliberate mysteriousness and an attempt to seem sexy.

Hermione felt sick.

Panic rose in her, and the confines of the aeroplane closed in. Her palms felt slick with sweat. Suddenly, she couldn't breathe.

"I need to get out!"

Further down the plane, she could see the air hostess shutting the door, trapping Hermione. She suddenly knew that going to Edinburgh would be the worst decision she could ever possibly make.

She leapt up from her seat. "Stop, I need to get off the plane!"

Hermione fumbled with her overnight bag, trying her best to lift it from the overhead locker.

"Shit!" She pulled at it, causing everything to spill out from the cupboard. "I'm so sorry. Sorry!" She finally got the bag out, whacking a fellow passenger around the head in the process. She muttered another apology as she hurried down the gangway.

"Please, let me off the plane. I can't travel. I need to get off the plane!"

⁂

Twenty minutes later, Hermione was standing on the concourse outside the airport, wondering what to do next. She knew she needed to see Ron. Hermione felt panic bubbling in her stomach at the thought that she may have upset him earlier by not trusting him. She needed to put things right.

Their friendship was always tumultuous — they'd had their fair share of arguments over the years, and they bickered daily. Ron was the only person who knew how to press her buttons and wind her up, the only person who knew how far he could push her and challenge her. Still, she had left him at the gate, thinking she didn't believe or trust him, and that felt like a massive betrayal of their friendship.

Before she could find Ron and apologise, she needed to sort out the Cormac situation. She sent a quick text to Hannah to let her know that she would be at her Anti-Valentine's Day party after all before googling the phone number for Cormac's office. She dialled it and waited for the answer.

"Gringotts Investment Banking, how may I help you?" The receptionist sounded friendly, and Hermione immediately felt terrible for what she was about to do.

"Good afternoon. My name is Miss Smith from Addison Lee. I've just had Mr McLaggen in my car, and it seems he's left his wallet behind. His secretary ordered the car from your offices. I've tried to look for him in the area where I dropped him off, but I've lost sight of him. I wondered if you could confirm where his next appointment is?"

Hermione crossed all the fingers on her spare hand and quietly thanked Cormac for always making sure she was sent the posh town cars from the same company to bring her to their dates.

"Of course, one moment please." She could hear the secretary tapping her long fingernails against her keyboard. It took a moment, and she wondered if the receptionist had hung up on her, but then Hermione finally heard her voice.

"He has a personal dinner in half an hour, at _Folie_ on the Golden Square."

"Oh, fantastic. Mr McLaggen will need his wallet, then. I will drop it off at the restaurant. Thank you so much." Hermione hung up and headed towards the taxi rank, completely missing Ron sitting and waiting for his bus.

⁂

The Golden Square is an upmarket area of London where Soho meets Carnaby Street. The site is vibrant and always busy, so of course, Cormac had chosen to eat there. Any chance to show off, Hermione thought. Luckily, she knew the maître d', and he owed her a favour.

She pushed open the door to the restaurant, letting the warmth roll over her, although it wasn't comforting. Right now, she'd rather be anywhere else but here.

Cormac had brought her to _Folie_ for their first date just last week. Hermione had been impressed with the decor and the majestic feel to the restaurant. It was probably the poshest place she'd ever eaten. Hermione had let Cormac buy her too many cocktails, and he had almost persuaded her to go home with him. She could remember thinking they could make a tradition of going to the restaurant for anniversaries but now just being in the vicinity made her feel ill.

There was still a small part of her that hoped Ron was wrong as she spotted the maître d', Simon, and headed over to him. Hermione pulled him to the side and explained the situation, and with his help, formulated a plan for revenge.

Hoping for a night out in Edinburgh, Hermione had packed her smallest black dress to wear for Cormac. It wasn't her favourite; it was a piece of clothing reserved for first dates mainly. It was shorter than she liked wearing and showed quite a lot of cleavage. The fact Hermione had even thought to pack the dress served as an indicator of how much power Cormac had over her. It should have been a red flag.

She would have to burn the dress as soon as she had the chance.

Hermione prided herself in being a good judge of character and usually picked up warning signs straight away. It annoyed her even more that Cormac was here with someone else on Valentine's Day. She hated the fact he had tricked her into believing she was the only woman he was seeing.

She lingered in the kitchen, watching from the small window as Simon led Cormac and his wife to their table. She threw all thoughts of a misunderstanding out as Simon reported back about the massive rock on the woman's left ring finger. Taking a huge breath, Hermione strode out to the dining room and towards their table.

Her timing could not be better — the sommelier had just opened their first bottle of Moët, and the couple was making a toast to Valentine's Day. She waited for Cormac to take his first sip of the expensive champagne, her blood boiling at the smug look on his face, before announcing her presence.

"Good evening." Hermione used her best sickly sweet voice. To her great satisfaction, Cormac was startled to see her standing in front of his table. He swallowed his mouthful of champagne a little too quickly and choked on it. A part of Hermione hoped that maybe that would be the end of him. Unfortunately, he seemed to recover quickly enough to throw her a broad smile, with a look that dared her to continue her act.

"My name is Hermione, and I'm going to be your waitress for the night. Why don't I get you started by letting you know today's specials?" Her hands were shaking, so she tightened her grip on the notepad, hoping they wouldn't notice. She didn't wait for the pair to respond before continuing. The last thing she wanted was to lose her nerve.

"Tonight, the chef is featuring a dish that he likes to call ' _the Lying Stinking Pig.'_ "

"You're kidding? How is that cooked?" Cormac's wife looked genuinely interested, and Hermione's heart started to thump in her chest. None of this was the woman's fault. Hermione didn't even know her name, and now she was suddenly putting her in an awful position. She almost gave up until she saw the grin still on Cormac's face. She steeled herself, he deserved everything coming his way, and Hermione just hoped his wife's wrath was even worse for finding out like this.

"Oh, it's terribly interesting. The chef starts by cutting off the pig's testicles. Then he chops them up, really finely. Teeny, tiny pieces…" Hermione made a chopping motion with her hands, really getting into the act now. "And then, he takes those testicles, and he pulverises them, adding in some herbs, a bit of cheese. Then he shoves the mixture back up the pigs — well for lack of a better word, his arse."

"Really?" Cormac's wife's eyebrows disappeared into her fringe as Cormac squirmed in his seat.

"Yeah! Then he cuts out the heart, the cold, useless tiny heart and filets it on either side and voila, we have tonight's amuse-bouche!"

His wife regarded Hermione closely, her eyes narrowing. "I think I'll just take the salmon."

"Good choice, madame. And for you, sir?" Hermione turned her attention to Cormac, who was loosening his tie, his face now bright red. He stuttered his response, unable to get a coherent sentence out. Hermione had him right where she wanted him.

"Oh, and just so you know. The heart of the _pig_ sometimes can get a little fluffy." She dug in the pocket of her pinafore and pulled out the cuddly toy he had gifted to her earlier, setting it down firmly in front of him.

There was silence in the restaurant now. Not only were Cormac and his wife staring up at her, but so were most of the diners. Hermione felt great, despite her heart pounding desperately in her chest. At that moment, her only thought was that she couldn't wait to tell Ron what she had done. He would be proud of her, for sure. He was always encouraging her to venture out of her comfort zone.

"Maybe I'll give you a little time to _juggle_ the choices!" Hermione turned away, letting out a long breath, the tension dropping from her shoulders. She was buzzing, and she held her head high as she strode back to Simon. The maître d' was cheering silently for her. Back at the table, she could hear Cormac trying to explain himself.

Hermione had won.

"That. Was. Amazing!" Simon took the pinafore from Hermione and offered her a glass of wine.

"Do you think so?" Her cheeks were burning bright red, and she downed half of it in one go. Her hands were still shaking. She had never done something so public before, and it was exhilarating.

"Honestly, you were a star. I reckon the git will be single by the end of the night. I only wish I'd filmed it so I could put it on YouTube!"

Hermione laughed, finally relaxing. "I'd rather not let my parents see that performance."

"I got your order, by the way. It just needs to go in the microwave when you get it home. I take it I'm charging it to Mr McLaggen's bill?"

"Yes, please. Maybe order yourself a nice bottle of wine too, I'm sure the pig will be obliging!" She took the bags from him and gathered the rest of her things. Hermione thanked Simon for helping her out before making a swift exit. Hannah's party was the next location on her list.

⁂

Luckily, Ron only had to catch one bus to get him back to Oxford Street — the 473 — which allowed him almost an hour of thinking time. He contemplated staying on it and just riding around London until it returned to the depot, but he guessed he should get back to work.

He stepped off the bus and on to the crowded street, dawdling from the stop to his shop, his head hanging low. It felt as if every bone in his body ached with sadness, and he had to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other. Still, he moved forward hoping that seeing Harry would cheer him up enough to get him through the last tasks of the day,

Ron had woken up this morning, so full of hope and expectations for the day. Instead, he had managed to lose one of the most important women in his life and upset the other. More annoyingly, he had only been trying to make sure they were happy.

The shop was already locked when Ron got to it, and he felt a pang of guilt as he watched Harry tidying up. He'd have to add his best friend to the list of people Ron had let down today. He let himself in, forcing a massive smile on to his face as the bright jingle of the bell over the door filled the store.

"Ron, hey!" Ron noted that Harry looked exhausted but had a genuine smile on his face. "I wasn't expecting you back here today. Please tell me you've spent the past hour making out with Hermione and you're just coming back to get her a present?" The black-haired man patted the silver box still waiting on the counter.

Ron shook his head, the fake smile disappearing as his gloom threatened to creep back over him. "She got on the plane. I hope she'll be okay…"

"She will be," Harry sighed. "I reckon she may need us tomorrow night for some distraction and wallowing. Why don't I see if you two can come over for dinner or something? A nice big meal with friends might fix both your broken hearts. Ginny has been asking about hosting another dinner party for a while."

The thought lifted Ron's spirits only a small amount. Harry married Ron's sister five years ago, and they already had a child together with the second on its way. It was a life Ron had always wanted for himself, but he didn't feel jealous about his friend's luck.

"Maybe I genuinely got it wrong? Maybe Cormac hasn't got a wife, and I just misunderstood what he said to me this morning?" He let out a heavy sigh.

"Well, then there'll be more food for you!" Harry's attempt at a joke felt flat.

Ron tried to shake the bleak thoughts from his head. He let out a sigh. "Talking about my dear sister, we should get you home so you can spend some of Valentine's Day with her. Otherwise, she might hurt me!"

"What about the shop?"

"I'll take care of it. You've done everything else today, and it's about time I started to pull my weight around here. Come on; I'll drive you back."

⁂

With most of London's population now busy with their own Valentine's dates, it didn't take the pair long to traverse the city. Ron pulled up outside Harry's house, which wasn't far from his own. Ron couldn't even look in the direction of the empty building — he was not looking forward to heading back there alone tonight.

"Are you going to be okay?" Harry turned towards Ron, a concerned look on his face.

"You would have been my best man, by the way." Ron tried to distract Harry from the fact that tears were starting to pool in his eyes. It had been a shit day, for sure, but there was no way he was going to let his best male friend see him cry over it.

"I do not doubt it…"

A silence filled the van, but Ron got comfort from it. He liked that he didn't have to make any special effort to force conversation with Harry or Hermione. They were just happy to hang out. At the thought of his female best friend, Ron felt a pang of guilt.

"You know, if you ever have a bad feeling about any of my future girlfriends, can you please just tell me?" He fixed his eyes on the steering wheel.

"I'm sorry," Harry nodded. "I've just never had an inkling before. I wasn't sure what to do with it."

Ron let out a nervous laugh. "To be fair, I don't think I would know either. We saw the mess I made of telling Hermione everything earlier. Love sucks."

"Love doesn't suck. I refuse to believe it." Harry took a deep breath before continuing. "It was just too simple with you and Lavender, too clean. You always got on because neither of you wanted to upset the other. You didn't feel enough to want to argue with her. So that felt like love.

"But the thing is, you don't step nicely into love, you fall in. Head over heels. Have you ever seen someone fall head over heels in love? It's ugly. Toxic, septic. Just look at your sister and me."

"You and Ginny are perfect, how do you get it so right?"

"We argue all the time, but it's okay. It means we care enough about each other to argue. And it's easy…" Harry shrugged. "I married my best friend!"

"Hey!" Ron's attention was on Harry now, and he let out a more genuine laugh. "I thought I was your best friend!"

"I'm sorry to tell you, but I was never going to marry you." Harry started to let himself out of the car. "You're my best guy-friend. I would have married Hermione, but I think she's smitten with someone else…"

"Yeah, Cormac." Ron frowned.

"Maybe, maybe not!" Harry smiled in that infuriating way that wound Ron up. He leaned back into the van to say goodbye before shutting the door and heading up to the house. Ginny was already waiting for Harry on the doorstep with a glass of wine for him. Ron gave his sister a wave before pulling away.

⁂

Ron was grateful for the quiet of the empty store as he started to tidy up. He contemplated putting on some music but instead decided to work in silence. It took him over an hour, but it gave him space to finally get his thoughts in order.

It had been a while since Ron was single. Before Lavender, he was a habitual dater - Parvati, Padma, Susan, Pansy. Lavender had been the first woman to get him to settle down. It was almost like he didn't know who he was without a woman on his arm. Ron should make the most of it, get out and about, meet new people. Maybe he'd finally get time to join a five-a-side football team.

Ron finished collecting up the leftover flowers when he heard the bell over the shop door jangle. He lifted his head, frowning as he watched Teddy walk into the shop, seemingly alone.

"Hey kiddo, what are you doing here? It's late!"

The child walked towards him, a determined look on his face. "You didn't deliver my flowers to my school."

Ron's eyes trailed guiltily towards the bouquets that Harry didn't get to deliver, probably because of the amount of running around Harry had done for him. It would cost the business a lot in discounted orders and returns, but Ron planned to get up extra early to finish the deliveries before the shop opened in the morning.

"Ah, I'm so sorry, Teddy. Some grownup stuff came up." Ron frowned at his words. When did he become a condescending adult? He'd prided himself on being a cool uncle, but maybe he was more like his dad than he thought. "If you let me know where they need to be, I can make sure your Valentine gets them tomorrow!"

Teddy scowled and stamped his foot, his arms crossed over his chest. "No! I want to deliver them today!"

Ron sighed and rubbed his hand over his face. "Okay, I'll tell you what. I've finished my work and since you seem to be wandering around central London by yourself, why don't we go and deliver them now and then I'll take you home. I bet your parents are worried about you!"

"My babysitter!"

"Well, that's even worse! Maybe we can phone her from the van. She could lose her job, man! Tell you what; I'll give you a bonus gift so that you can sweeten her up too. Deal? Do you know where your little friend is going to be?"

"She's not a kid. She's a lady, and she said she was going to be at _Le Vacherin_ tonight!"

"The French restaurant? Yeah, I know it. My brother owns it with his wife but kid, it's miles away!" One look at Teddy's face and Ron knew he would have to drive him there anyway. He gathered up the buckets of leftover flowers and passed Teddy the silver box Neville had given him that morning.

"Don't open it until you get to her, you'll spoil the magic!"

Ron locked up and escorted Teddy to the van. For a fleeting moment, he wondered if he might get arrested for abduction of a minor, but he tried to shake the thought from his head. Hopefully, this could be the last mission of the evening, and then he could go home and wallow in his misery.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Valentine's Day draws to a close, will Hermione and Ron sort themselves out? Or will the day end in heartache?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine's Day. Whether you celebrate or not, I hope that you remember to practise lots of self-care & look after yourselves. For me, I'll be spending the day writing and eating cake.
> 
> This chapter is dedicated to Adenei who has beta'd this whole fic for me, and the members of the HPRomione Discord community, but especially the Romionecom cult members. If you enjoyed this fic, hit me up and I'll send you the link to the AO3 collection, where you can find a lot more Romionecom fics <3
> 
> As always, if you enjoyed please let me know. Your comments fill my little heart up right to the brim <3 There will be more Romionecoms from me in the future, as well as my first ever Hinny focussed fic, once Lego House has been written. Stay safe xxx

_Le Vacherin_ was full of diners. Hermione didn't expect anything less on Valentine's night. Cynically, she wondered how unromantic sharing a meal with a lover in a crowded restaurant was and the thought forced a laugh to her lips.

This morning, as she was lounging in Cormac's bed, she would have sold her left leg to be sitting somewhere like this, sharing a meal with the handsome stockbroker. But now all Hermione could think about was how close together the couples were seated, and how she could think of nothing worse than trying to eat whilst the lovers to her right were kissing and those on the left were arguing.

How the tables have turned.

Bill & Fleur, Ron's brother and sister-in-law, owned the restaurant. A few years ago, the couple had bought the place after their return from living in France. Fleur made the most delicious meals, and Hermione loved getting a chance to eat with them. Of course, the tall blonde primarily focused on front-of-house tasks with her husband now, but she joked she kept a firm eye on her chefs and ruled them with an iron hand.

Hermione gave the couple a quick wave as she weaved her way through the tightly packed tables and entered the private dining area. It was closed off by some strategically placed trellis, which did nothing to dampen the whispers of the loved-up diners. She immediately felt guilty as she set eyes on Hannah sitting alone and nursing a rather large glass of wine.

"Hello, I'm here. I'm so sorry I'm late! You'll never guess the afternoon I've had." Hermione had decided half-way across London from _Folie_ to pop back to her flat and drop her overnight bag off. The little black dress had gone straight in the bin, and she had changed into a pretty blue prom-style dress and a pair of leather flats. Much more her style. The skirt reached down to her knees, and her cleavage was a little more hidden, although not wholly tucked away. The change left her feeling more confident, and she was looking forward to getting on with her evening.

True, there was a moment where Hermione had contemplated locking herself in her tiny flat, throwing on a pair of sweats and wallowing on her sofa with a few sappy romantic comedies, but that wasn't like her. Anyway, she had let many people down today, and she needed to start making amendments.

So instead, she reapplied the small amount of make-up she allowed herself to wear and fluffed up her long curls before heading back out, making the short journey from her flat to the restaurant via taxi.

"Oh, thank God you're here!" Hannah jumped up from her seat, almost spilling the contents of her glass down herself and threw her arms around Hermione before she even had a chance to remove her coat or put down her bags. "I thought I was going to be alone tonight!"

"Nonsense! And it's still early. People are never on time in London; you should know that by now!" Hermione waited for Hannah to let go of her before dumping her things and helping herself to a glass of wine from the waiting bottles on the table.

"So, Edinburgh? What happened there?" Hannah sat opposite Hermione, leaning across the table to rest a hand on her arm, a sympathetic look on her face.

"Oh, I don't even know where to start with that! It's all been a mess, quite truthfully…" Hermione started to relay the tale, a quiet fury still burning low in her stomach. It took a while, and by the time she finished her story, her glass was empty. She sat back in her seat, satisfied by the incredulous look on Hannah's face.

"I can't believe you did that, Hermione. That was so brave!" Hannah reached for the bottle of wine to top up Hermione's glass. "You know, the day you've had means that you deserve the first hit!"

Hermione turned her head in the direction Hannah was nodding, her eyes lighting up as she spotted the giant heart-shaped piñata hanging from the ceiling beam. She took a large gulp of wine before standing up and locating the baseball bat.

She steadied herself, grateful that she swapped her heels for flats as she readied herself next to the Papier-mâché.

"Take that Cormac McLaggen!" She hit the heart, a little feebly and winced as she barely made a dent in the cardboard.

"Oh, come on, Hermione!" Hannah was on her feet now, watching gleefully. "You can do better than that!"

Hermione rolled her shoulders and dug in deeper before swinging the bat at full force. "That is for making me be the other woman!" _Whack_ "This is for lying to me about being married!" _Whack_ "And that is for forcing Ron to drive across London to do your dirty work!"

With one last great hit, the piñata exploded, showering Hermione and Hannah with sweets. The girls danced in the debris, and Hermione felt like the drama of the day had finally disappeared, and she could start having fun.

The sound of a man clearing his throat broke Hermione out of her joyful reverie, and she turned her head in the direction of it.

"Bill!"

There was a sure-fire way of identifying one of the many Weasley siblings, and that was by the flame-red hair they all had. Bill was tall, thin and handsome, just like Ron, although Bill usually wore his hair long and in a ponytail. Before he'd married Fleur, Bill had been a self-proclaimed wild child. As a teen, he had been in a car crash, leaving him heavily scarred. But they just added to his looks, giving him a badass edge.

"There was someone at the front desk for you, said he was looking for you!"

Hermione's heart leapt then suddenly plummeted, making her feel sick. There were only two men who knew where she might be tonight—Cormac and Ron. Of course, the latter thought she had taken a flight to Edinburgh, and in all the chaos of the evening, Hermione hadn't found time to text him and tell him she was still in London. So that only left Cormac as a potential visitor.

She took a deep breath and moved around the table, feeling immediate relief wash over her as she saw Teddy Lupin waiting at Bill's side, a massive bouquet of roses and a silver box in his arms. The child's eyes were wide, and Hermione realised he'd seen her battering the shit out of the piñata. She felt ashamed. It wasn't exactly the sort of impression she longed to make on her students.

"Teddy! What are you doing here, it's so late!" She abandoned the bat at the table.

"Do you need me to stay with you, kid?" Bill smirked at Hermione, before looking down at Teddy. "Because Miss Granger looks pretty scary right now, so I wouldn't hold it against you if you didn't want to be left alone with her!"

"No… it's okay. I can handle this, Mr Weasley!"

Hermione waited for Bill to leave them alone before leading Teddy to a quiet corner of the room. She helped him up onto a barstool before sitting opposite him. "Teddy, are you okay? Does someone know that you're here?"

"I got a lift. The man said he was going to ring my babysitter, but that I'd be safe here with Mr and Mrs Weasley. I wanted to give these to you in school today, but they didn't get there on time!" Teddy pushed the bouquet of roses towards Hermione with a nervous smile.

"For me?" Hermione smiled softly. Children could be the sweetest sometimes. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, you're my Valentine…"

"Thank you." Hermione took his hand. "But are you sure that I'm the person you want to give these to?"

"Yeah!" Teddy nodded enthusiastically, and Hermione couldn't help but feel a rush of respect for his confidence. "I mean, I think so. Why?"

"Well, it's just when you pick a Valentine you have to make sure that you choose the right person, or else you could be overlooking someone who's even more special to you!"

At that moment, Victoire—another of her students and Ron's niece crossed towards a table. Hermione had spotted the girl stealing shy looks at Teddy when they were in class and was pretty confident she had a crush on the boy. As Hermione and Teddy glanced at her, they noticed Victoire was watching. The blonde turned away, her cheeks blushing bright red.

Hermione pushed away her immediate feelings that the child was far too young to be working in a restaurant. That was a battle she needed to have with Bill another day.

"Victoire? But I don't love her. I love you!" Teddy was looking back at her desperately now. "Is it our age difference that keeps you from falling in love with me? Or is it my height 'cos I'm gonna grow, eventually!"

"Well, no, it's not your height. It's just it wouldn't be right because I know Victoire likes you a lot."

"Really?"

"Yeah!"

"Well, I like her a lot too. She's the only other girl in the class who has the same taste in music as me, and she loves rugby!"

"Well, there we go then — rugby! It's something you guys have in common! It's things like that that can turn a friend from someone you like into someone that you love."

As she spoke, the realisation hit Hermione. It was so obvious; it felt like someone had poured cold water over her. She had a person right under her nose that had long ago turned from a friend into someone she loved.

"Has that ever happened to you, Miss Granger?"

Hermione must have missed the question the first time because she was only thinking of the person that had become something more to her. Suddenly, she knew the reason why Ron's words had bothered so much at the airport, and why she'd felt a sudden rush of glee when he'd announced he had broken up from Lavender, and potentially why Hermione never thought Lavender was the right woman for Ron in the first place.

She had a sudden yearning to get away from the party, which had picked up drastically in the short amount of time she had been talking to Teddy. The room was packed, the alcohol was flowing, and the conversation about who had the most traumatic dating experiences resounded around the private dining area.

Hermione shook her head and turned her attention back to Teddy.

"You are the most special Valentine I have ever had, Teddy Lupin. But I think you should go and see Victoire. I promise she will love the flowers. I'll ask Bill to call your babysitter, okay?"

She hugged the boy, then watched him go before turning back to survey the party with a small smile. Hermione contemplated telling Hannah that she was leaving, but the girl was leading the group in a ritual burning of all their ex-boyfriend's things. She probably wouldn't even miss her, Hermione suspected.

As she left the party, Hermione caught a glimpse of Teddy gifting Victoire the flowers. The blonde's face lit up, and it gave Hermione hope. Love was definitely still worth fighting for.

⁂

Ron tried for as long as he could to put off going home to his empty house. It wouldn't be the same without Chudley rushing to greet him or Lavender trying to cook them up something healthy in the kitchen. But eventually, with the shop tidied and all his errands completed, he had no other choice but to return.

He parked his van in its usual spot and meandered back to the house, playing with his car keys. He was concentrating so hard he didn't notice the person sat on his doorstep until he almost trod on her.

"Hi…" Her voice was quiet, but Ron heard it loud and clear. He stopped in his steps, watching Hermione closely as she stood up. She was wearing a party dress under her grey wool coat and had bags of food at her feet. At that moment, Ron's first thought was that he hadn't eaten all day, and his stomach growled in agreement.

His eyes flitted up to her face, looking for some sort of sign about how she was feeling. The fact she was here and not in Edinburgh was hugely significant to Ron. It meant that she had realised he was telling the truth. Of course, knowing Hermione that probably meant that she had confronted the lying twerp at some point this evening, although she didn't look like she'd been crying. Despite the fact her face was neutral, he could see the slight furrow of her brow and the twitch of her lower lip that showed to him she was dealing with something.

He let out a short puff of air. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, me too." She dusted herself down and let out her own sigh. "I was sitting on the plane, waiting for it to leave the gate and all I could think about was what you said to me. You were being a good friend, and I should have listened to you. And I should have told you that I thought Lavender was the wrong person for you. Anyway, it turns out you were right about Cormac…"

Her gaze shifted to her feet as she let out a tiny sob, and Ron's heart broke for her. He wouldn't wish the pain he'd been feeling today on his worst enemy.

Ron slid two fingers under her chin and gently pushed her face up to look at him. Tears were pooling in her eyes, drawing another sigh from his lips.

"What happened?"

"It's okay," she rested her head against his hand as a lone tear escaped an eye. Ron ran his thumb over the line of her cheek in an attempt to comfort her. "I dealt with it. Where have you been, anyway? I feel like I've been waiting here for hours!"

Ron took the bait, sensing Hermione's need to change the conversation. He dropped his hand, shoving it in his pocket.

"I've been out getting rid of the leftover flowers, you know—all the ones that nobody wants. Most shops just throw them away, but I took them to Hyde Park and put them in the Serpentine. I like the idea that tomorrow, someone will see them float by and wonder where they came from. It adds a bit of mystery to life.

"I used to put them together, practice new designs and drop them off at a random front door with a note that said 'somebody loves you'. But then I got to thinking, what if they found out that someone was me? Would they want me to be the one that loves them?" He found it almost impossible to make eye contact with Hermione's smouldering stare, feeling too ashamed of admitting his deepest insecurities to her. He didn't want her to feel sorry for him, even at that moment.

And then Hermione said something he had never expected to hear from her. Suddenly, all of his worries about being alone for the rest of his life disappeared, and his gloom gave way to something a little sunnier.

"I would…"

When Ron looked up, she was still staring at him with her fiercest gaze—the one she usually reserved for when he was in a heap of trouble with her. This time though, her look was softer, and she had a smile on her face. Ron felt amazed that he could do that to her.

"I mean, I would want that…"

He experienced a gut-wrenching lurch of nerves as he realised she was starting to lean in towards him.

"Fucking hell! I'm about to snog my best friend!" The words blurted out before he even realised what he was saying. He could kick himself sometimes—way to spoil a romantic moment. Hermione rolled her eyes, but the smile never left her face as she continued to lean towards him. Ron licked his lips in anticipation before closing his eyes.

The kiss was less than perfect. Their noses bashed together, and in fact, Ron thought it was probably the most unromantic thing to ever happen to him. He felt a surge of disappointment as they pulled away.

"Not great," Hermione wrinkled her nose up, although the smile remained firmly on her face.

Ron frowned. "Well, you didn't exactly knock it out of the park!"

"We've never practised. I mean, these sort of things take time!"

"Practice?!" He took a step back from her, in shock now. "I suppose you want to go and get a bloody book about it?!"

"No, not a book, Ronald!" She was starting to get frustrated, and Ron delighted in the fact that, despite the awkwardness of their first kiss, he was still able to play her and get a rise from her.

"Well, did you imagine it better or worse? That might help you look in the right section of Waterstones! Did you want luscious, romantic kisses or full-on snogging? What type of practice do you need?"

"Me?!" Hermione scoffed. "I gave _you_ more credit when I thought of you kissing me. I thought you'd be better!"

"You imagined kissing me? How long have you been dreaming of me? Do we have sex, too?!" He crossed his arms over his chest, trying to stop the smirk from creeping over his face.

"You are insufferable, Ron! You know, I brought you dinner because I was _worried_ about you. First and foremost, I wanted to make sure you were okay. And I thought that maybe we had something more than friendship going on. You're always going on about me breaking out of my comfort zone, so I made the first move. And then you _tease_ me about it? It takes two to kiss, you know!"

Hermione pushed past him, catching his arm with her shoulder a little harder than Ron expected. He waited until she was almost at the front garden gate before grabbing her hand and pulling her back to him. He mustered all his courage, placing his spare hand on her waist to yank her closer before planting a firm kiss on her lips.

He knew that this time the kiss would be perfect. Hermione reciprocated eagerly, letting out a small moan of satisfaction as she slid her fingers through his hair, holding him close to her.

If Ron even cared to check the time, he would have discovered that the day only had 30 seconds left, but he was oblivious to it. Somehow, the magic of Valentine's Day had seen them through.

Ron kissed Hermione slowly and tentatively at first. It was new and exciting. He and Hermione had been friends for so long, and they had so many feelings to unpack. Eventually, he knew she would want to talk, and he suspected neither of them would be getting a lot of sleep, although he hoped, as he deepened the kisses, that talking wouldn't take up the whole of their night.

He wanted to enjoy this moment with her forever.

⁂

As Valentine's Day faded into February 15th, it was apparent that love was in the air across the city.

Two teenagers kiss in a lift as one escorts the other back from their very first date. An old couple waltz slowly in a park, no music playing, after spending most of the day bickering. A mother holds her son close to her as she comforts him from his nightmare. Harry sits with Ginny on a garden swing seat, a blanket over their laps and their fingers entwined on top of her growing bump.

And still, Ron and Hermione kiss, as if making up for all the lost time.

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed, please leave me a comment <3


End file.
